Athlete of the Week Runners Up: Kayley Leonard, Seth Towns, and Gabby Thomas

KAYLEY LEONARD, WOMEN’S SQUASH

Sunday afternoon in the championship game for the Howe Cup, the Harvard women’s squash team (15-0, 7-0 Ivy) defeated No. 2 University of Pennsylvania (13-2, 6-1 Ivy) to win the Crimson’s third-straight national championship with an important early win from No. 3 sophomore Kayley Leonard. The championship win also secured the Crimson’s second straight perfect season, and 38th consecutive win since losing to Penn in 2015. Following two strong opening wins by seniors Dileas MacGowan (No. 9) and Katie Tutrone (No. 6), Leonard came back from a 6-10 deficit in the fifth set, winning six consecutive points for an emphatic 12-10 win in the deciding match for Harvard to gain a three match advantage. Leonard’s five set win maintained the Crimson’s momentum into the second set of matches with Harvard securing a 7-2 win and another national championship.

SETH TOWNS, MEN’S BASKETBALL

As Harvard (18-7, 10-2) defeated Yale (14-10, 6-5) and Brown (12-16, 3-9), on Friday and Saturday respectively, freshman forward Seth Towns had a standout performance both nights. Friday night against Yale, Towns posted 18 points, his 15th time posting double-digits this season, as well as eight rebounds. The Columbus, OH native combined with freshman guard Bryce Aiken for 40 points against the Bulldogs.

Towns continued the double-digits streak by posting 16 points on Saturday against Brown with eight rebounds. The win against Bears gave the Crimson its best home record of 11-3 since 2014-15.

GABBY THOMAS, WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD